Culver City, known today for its vibrant restaurant scene and striking art deco architecture, has a fascinating history that few recognize. One hundred years ago, it was the winter home of the Al G. Barnes traveling circus and zoo, a spectacle boasting “a thousand wild animals,” including zebras, lions, and tigers. During their downtime, these animals even made appearances in nearby film productions.
For a brief period, the area transformed into its own official municipality, dubbed Barnes City, complete with town hall and local services. However, this unique city became a casualty of local politics, marking it as one of Los Angeles’ shortest-lived municipalities.
Today, the area along Washington Boulevard is officially recognized as the Del Rey neighborhood, which jaggedly straddles the borders of Culver City and Los Angeles. Resident Devora Rogers has experienced challenges due to the confusing jurisdictional boundaries, often pondering whom to contact for essential city services, such as tree cleaning and trash pickups. This perplexing issue piqued her and her neighbors’ curiosity about the neighborhood’s past.
“This kind of all made us think about what was this neighborhood before,” Rogers stated. In collaboration with her husband, she began researching the area’s fascinating history. When she reached out to share her findings, it sparked a further investigation into the tale of Barnes City.
At the dawn of the 1900s, the region was primarily ranch land until it was acquired by Alpheus George Barnes Stonehouse, the proprietor of the Al G. Barnes wild animal circus and zoo. The circus offered entertainment typical of its time, featuring zebras clad as clowns, elephants reenacting battlefield scenes, and human performers attempting daring stunts. Newspaper reports from that era describe a particular “girl trainer” entering a cage filled with 30 lions just to feed them raw meat using her teeth.
The circus enjoyed popularity, with shows extending as far as Canada and as nearby as Pasadena and Long Beach. During the winter off-season, the circus remained in Los Angeles County, and by the end of the 1920 season, Barnes decided to move the circus’ permanent winter headquarters to his ranch land. The circus animals and staff resided by the corner of Washington Boulevard and McLaughlin Avenue.
At the time, the land was unincorporated but situated next to the newly formed Culver City, which sought to expand its territory. In 1925, Barnes became aware of Culver City’s annexation plans, leading him to seek legal help in an effort to prevent it. He argued in court that the annexation would reduce the value of his property, noting the peculiar circumstance where his front porch would fall within Culver City’s limits, while his sleeping quarters would remain outside.
In a bid to circumvent the annexation, Barnes appealed to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, seeking to establish his own municipality, which he intended to call Barnes City. After navigating through legal and political hurdles, county supervisors arranged an election in February 1926 for the 400 registered voters living in the area, many of whom were affiliated with Barnes’ circus. The cityhood proposal narrowly passed, with 145 votes in favor and 128 against it.
Once Barnes City was officially recognized on February 13, 1926, elected trustees took office. Among them were several of Barnes’ allies, including his brother, Albert T. Stonehouse, who assumed the role of mayor. However, problems emerged almost immediately.
A faction of residents known as the La Ballona Improvement Association grew discontent with the city’s name, expressing concerns that it would associate the area negatively, dubbing it “Monkeyville.” Despite having previously challenged the name in front of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, they were unsuccessful. Dissension among residents led to calls for a second city election on April 12, in accordance with state regulations.
During this turmoil, Barnes was actively performing with his circus. In a strategic move, he brought his entire circus back home for a single day to ensure that his 350 performers could participate in the voting process. The tight election resulted in a surprising outcome, with most of Barnes’ adversaries winning positions of influence such as city trustee and city attorney.
Increasingly, residents came to the consensus that the only solution to the turmoil was to dissolve Barnes City and merge into another municipality. Although there was resistance to joining Culver City due to its stringent regulations, merging with Los Angeles became the viable alternative. Ultimately, in September 1926, residents voted to unite with Los Angeles, erasing Barnes City after a mere seven months in existence.
For Devora Rogers, uncovering this part of history has provided her with valuable insight. “All of us complain about the fact that we don’t know if we’re supposed to call Culver City or L.A.,” she said. Understanding the reasons behind these disparities grants her and her neighbors context to their ongoing struggles.
It also fuels her curiosity as she walks through her neighborhood, searching for remnants of what could have been landmarks in Barnes City, such as ticket offices or areas designated for elephants. In her words, “I think it’s part of the funny, quirky history of Los Angeles.”
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